


Cracked

by michmak



Series: The Little Things [27]
Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-06
Packaged: 2017-11-13 16:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michmak/pseuds/michmak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Gorram, girl, you're timin' is awful."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cracked

Jayne is behind the house with the Doc and Mal. All three have sleeping bags, so it ain't too bad. The girls had been given the spare room and the attic. Jayne weren't quite sure how those sleeping arrangements was gonna work out. Inara and Zoe were awful different – he couldn't imagine the two 'a them sharing a room. On the other hand, he probably could imagine it if'n he bothered tryin', but that way led to ruin.

He was already missin' his little Crazy-girl something fierce. It was amazin' to him how used to sleepin' with her he'd become in just over a week. Lying by hi'self in his sleepin' bag, his arms felt surprisingly empty and the space beside him felt lonely.

Weren't nothing he could do 'bout it though. Weren't no way his Ma would 'a let River sleep with him. Didn't matter that he was a man growed – his Ma was a stickler for propriety. He wouldn't have his girl wrapped against him in the night until they got off this gorram planet.

Jayne had ta admit Prospero had changed some in the twenty-odd years since he'd left. It had grown – the caverns were larger; the ceilings higher. Still made him claustrophobic but weren't as bad as before, where he couldn't even stand straight in the tunnels linkin' the different sections of the settlement ta the Town Square.

The Square itself was much larger, with the cavern ceiling soarin' a good 50 feet at its peak, giving the town square a feeling of spaciousness. Beside the train station there was a general store and a jail, and across the square was a fair sized bar, a church and a bath house Despite the fact it was underground, Prospero was well-lit with various electrical lights and lampposts. Around the edges of the cavern, where the ceiling sloped downwards to the floor, several tunnel openings could be seen. It was through one of those openin's Ma had taken them that afternoon.

"We live on the East end 'a town," she'd said, loud enough for everyone to hear her. "When Jayne was still with us, we lived on the North end which ain't near as nice. We got a nice little house now with actual plumbin' in it and Pa just added an extension 'bout five years or so ago with wood he scavenged topside from Old Town."

"Old Town?" Inara asked.

Ma Cobb had nodded. "The original settlement here. It was buried by a Dust Bowl back 'bout forty years ago or so. Sometimes, when the winds shift, parts 'a the town are freed from the sand and we can get some useful things. My husbands' family had a right nice little homestead just outside 'a Old Town. Big veranda and an actual vegetable garden where they growed fresh tomatoes and corn and such. Jayne's grandpa would sell the surplus at market on Sundays. That's where I met Jayne's father."

She'd grinned at the memory. "He was helpin' his Pa out at market one day. He was a born salesman. _'Fresh Cobb Corn!'_ he'd holler. The first time I met him, he told me if'n I played my cards right I'd get to eat real corn on the Cobb one day. Then he winked at me. He was a charmer, that man. Know'd I was a goner the minute he started in with the flirtin'. Jayne's a lot like him."

By the time everyone had stopped laughin' at that, they'd reached one 'a the tunnels. "Watch your heads, mind," Ma had called out. "These tunnels are built for little folk – not tall 'uns, like the most 'a you. Poor Jayne had a hard time maneuverin' through them when he was twelve, he was so tall. They're well-lit, though, so no one should have a problem as long as ya duck."

 

~~~~~

 

Now it was night time – or what the settlers called night time. Underground, weren't no way to tell whether the sun was shinin' or not, even if the weather had been fine. He'd been glad to see his Pa again but had been surprised at how much older he looked. Seemed to Jayne he'd shrunk some and it saddened the big Merc to realize his Pa was getting old. Hell, anyone over sixty-five on this gorram planet was challengin' Methuselah. Prospero had a way of makin' a body old 'afore it's time.

Matty hadn't arrived home 'til after supper but he had grinned at Jayne when he saw him. "I swear you're even taller!" he had laughed. "Gorram, Jayne – it's good to see you."

"How's the damp lung?" Jayne had asked. "Ya got the medicine ya needed to take care of it?"

Matty had shrugged, "Some. Got what Doc Breckin could spare. We ain't had an Alliance ship by here in a coupla years now. Doc's running low on supplies."

"What is damp lung?" Simon had asked. "Perhaps I might have something that would help."

His brother had just smiled, "Nah – no worries, Doc. I'm good."

However, later that evening Jayne had seen Simon frownin' when Matty had started coughin'.

"Doc, you awake?" he whispered suddenly. "Or is ya sleepin'"

"If I was sleeping, I don't think I'd be able to respond to your questions," Simon replied dryly. "What is it?"

"I saw ya frownin' at Matty earlier tonight, when he was coughin'. Somethin' wrong?"

The younger man was silent for a few moments before respondin'. "What do you know about damp lung, Jayne?"

"Not much. S'always somethin' I remember older folk gettin' – not young people like Matty. I know people with damp lung cough a lot; sometimes have difficulty breathing. Ol' Doc Breckin always said it was on accounta the air in the caves is damp and not too fresh, and people get chills and such. Why?"

"You remember anyone ever coughing up blood?"

"You'd have to ask my Ma that," Jayne responded. "I never paid much attention to it. Why?"

"Probably nothing," Simon replied, "but I want to check your brother out tomorrow and perhaps talk to the town doctor. Do the settlers live down in the caves year round?"

"Didn't used to," Jayne grunted. "When I was little, we lived down here from end 'a August until the end of January or thereabouts. Pichonet told me that the Dust Bowl is lasting longer now, and is unpredictable to boot so's I don't imagine no one spends too much time topside no more."

"How do they keep the lights on and electricity working down here year round? Generators?"

"Nah, turbines. Little ones, close to the ground, shaped like propellers. They don't stand upright on accounta the winds get too strong and twist 'em out 'a shape. Instead, they lie flat, like gears. We got shafts that run up underneath 'em with grate covers ta let the sand fall through, and then Moles cart the dirt away on the rail system."

"And the hot water?" Mal asks. 'Pears he ain't sleepin' yet neither.

"Hot springs," Jayne grins. "They feed the bath houses too. One 'a the only good things ya can find on this gorram piece 'a dirt. If'n the opportunity comes up, the girls should go to one for a soak."

Silence, a little longer this time, before the Captain says, "I know we're underground here, but I swear I can see the stars."

"Me too," Simon agrees.

Jayne grins. "It's the mica in the rock. This whole settlement used to be a mine – that's where the original caverns come from. Prospero was one 'a the biggest iron-ore suppliers in the 'verse, at one time – back when things was good and the Dust Bowl only lasted a couple 'a months. When the iron-ore ran out, the operation closed down and no one thought much on the mines a't'all until the Dust Bowl got so bad we had to come underground."

He looks up into the darkness of the cavern and sees the glitterin' Simon and Mal had noticed. "Ma always used to say that Prospero had sky inside – a whole universe of mica chips, shining in the darkness."

"But no shooting stars to wish on," Crazy-girl says in his ear.

All three men start and Jayne and Mal both have their guns pulled before they even realize Kaylee is there as well, along with Inara and Zoe. All of them are giggling, 'ceptin' Zoe who just looks vaguely amused.

"Gorramit!" Mal grits out, "You trying to kill your Captain? Don't sneak up like that!"

"Sorry Cap'n," Kaylee grins. "We heard ya talkin' and decided to come out and eavesdrop."

"I missed my Jayne-bird," River adds.

Jayne looks at her. "Whuzzat?"

"Can't sleep without your heart in my ear. I missed you."

"You did?" Jayne questions again. "You?"

"Something wrong with your ears, Jayne?" Mal snaps.

"No," Jayne mumbles. "It's just that Crazy said she missed me."

"We heard her," Simon mutters. "Why does that surprise you so much?"

"Are you deaf?" Jayne snaps. "She said, _**'I** missed **my** Jayne-bird.'_ None a' that she and her go se she normally spouts, like she's the queen a the ruttin' universe. I and my!" The big merc is sitting up now and he pulls River into a massive hug before grumblin' in her ear. "Gorram, girl, you're timin' is awful."

Mal and the Doc look at Jayne like he's done lost his marbles. "Why are you so excited she's using first-person?" Simon asks.

Jayne blushes a bit and rubs a hand across the back 'a his neck. "Uh…just glad she's gettin' better, is all. I mean, it's good that she knows who she is, right?"

A light comes on from the back porch and everyone turns towards it blinkin'. "What are you all doing out here?" It's Ma. "If y'all plan on jawin' some more, can I getcha somethin' to drink?"

"We're fine, Ma," Jayne replies. "Didn't mean to wake ya."

Ma comes out to join them. "Looking at the stars, were ya?" She smiles when she asks. "Them little bits 'a glitter sure are pretty, ain't they. When Jayne was little, he used to lie out back 'a the house when everything was dark 'cepting the tunnel lights and look at them. Used to pretend they were real stars, I reckon. Think that's why he decided to leave us – wanted to fly in a way he couldn't here in the caves. Wanted to be free."

"Ma," Jayne grumbles. River giggles against his shoulder.

"What? It's the truth ain't it? I 'member you always used to tell me, _'Someday I'm gonna go out inta the black and find myself a ship to call home and a girl to call my own. I ain't never comin' back, neither.'_ Glad you got your wish is all, son. Glad ya came back, though. Always thought ya would one day."

"I ain't stayin', Ma. Can't stay – you know that." Jayne mutters. "Soon as the weather breaks, we'll be leavin'."

Ma nods. "I ain't askin' ya to stay, boy. You don't belong here – never did. Ya need to be free. Never could tame ya. River calls you Jayne-bird and I reckon she's got it right. Ya need to fly." Her gaze travels across the rest 'a them and she smiles, "Reckon the lot of ya need to fly – that's why my Jayne fits so well with ya. You're the same kinda people, deep down where it matters. I'm glad my baby boy found himself a new family ta take care of. He ain't happy less'n he's lookin' after people. For awhile there, I was afeared he'd lost his way but I can tell he's happier now, since he's found Serenity."

"Ma," Jayne growls again. He's glad it's dark – he can feel the blush under his skin and don't want no one else to see how red he's gettin'.

"Am I embarrassin' ya, son?" his Ma replies. "Can't help it if'n I'm proud 'a ya. Shouldn't be embarrassed 'cause your Ma loves ya."

"Ma…"

"Bet those naked baby pictures I sent made ya blush, huh?" She's teasing him now, all smiles when River and Kaylee start giggling. Even Mal is smiling.

"We had them posted around the kitchen for a while," Simon offers, "before Jayne threatened to rip them up into little pieces. River had to rescue them."

"Put them with her special things," Crazy-girl agrees. Jayne frowns slightly when he realizes she's talkin' third-person again. "She likes to look at her Jayne when he was little, before the world hurt him. Reminds her that there's hope."

"Hey, little Crazy, the world ain't done me no harm," Jayne replies softly, rubbin' her back with one big warm hand. She's crawled inta his lap and yawns against his chest.

"The 'verse made you lonely," she replies. "Made you wander, looking for somewhere you belonged. Like Moses in the wilderness, looking for the Promised Land, thinking you had been abandoned. But it's not true, Jayne-bird. Ma is right – you found us. Took you a while to realize you had a home again. You can be happy now teaching your butterfly how not to be broken."

"You ain't broken," Jayne murmurs. "Just a little cracked."

"Like Ma's ring," she agrees.

"Like me," Jayne responds. "Me and everyone else."


End file.
